In the USA there are several, often conflicting, schools of thought that are all tied together:

1) There are historical religious prohibitions on certain sexual activities that have been tied to Sodom and Gomorrah - http://en.wikipedia....h#Religious_views

2) Traditions of religious tolerance (no established church, etc.). But, "The USA is a Christian nation." wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

3) Suspicions of science and "elites".

4) "Live and let live."

5) "We must protect the children and everyone knows that gays are pedophiles!!!!"

6) "Keep your government out of my bedroom!"

7) "The Bible is always right."

8) "Sex is sinful unless it is within marriage."

9) "Sex education is indoctrination by the state and promotes promiscuity."

10) "Being gay is a choice. Therefore, they are choosing to be sinful and are dangers to children."

11) "Married men who have gay affairs do so because their wives aren't obedient to their husbands."

12) "Abortion is sinful because conception is a gift from God. Birth control is sinful because it promotes sexual mania and is contra to God's wishes that people "be fruitful and multiply". Masturbation is sinful because it wastes "seed" that could be used to bring more souls into the world. (See the story of Onan in Genesis 38:8-9.)"

13) "Humans are naturally sexual animals. There are many documented examples of homosexual behavior in other animals - http://en.wikipedia....mosexual_behavior Science tells us that people are complicated, so they shouldn't be judged and put in boxes solely based on old writings from people in an ancient desert culture."

And so forth. (Personally, I'm of the sexual-continuum and pro-sexual-freedom-among-adults and keep-your-religion-out-of-my-private-life - school.)

I think the problem with the "do what you want, just don't throw it in my face" school of thought is that it trivializes 'the other'. No one forces me to go to gay pride parades. No one forces me to go to Carnival or Mardi Gras or St. Patrick's Day parades. No one forces me to watch Washington Redskins games or put their logos on flags on my car. America is a better place because people can have those parades if they want.

But Redskins fans aren't in danger of being fired from their jobs, or accused of abusing children, or randomly beaten by gangs of thugs or randomly shoot by the police (see e.g. http://unfinishedliv...r-injuring-three/ ) or being denied the opportunity to buy a home in a certain neighborhoods.

Being gay isn't like picking a sports team to support. :-)

I understand the views of those who view the world as a place created by God and still undergoing battles between Good and Evil with Satan being an active participant. I was once quite religious myself. But even among those who are quite doctrinaire, there are different schools of thought. It's not at all clear to me that one (not you) must look down upon and repress others to be the best possible Christian. My reading of Jesus's life and works tells me that he wanted people to live their lives by their own choices; he wasn't Moses II and didn't lay out a new set of Commandments. He said to pray in private; to give to the poor; to recognize that the Kingdom of God was here (not in Heaven) - see, e.g. Mark I. FWIW.

Silence and "going along" doesn't change society's attitudes toward members of minorities. As someone above said, "Gay Pride" isn't about "pushing the gay agenda" or whatever - it's about fighting the "gays are evil degenerates" meme. "Black is Beautiful" wasn't about fighting "whitey" - it was about fighting the "negroes are scary and a threat to America" meme. The Irish in America went through a similar fight for their right to be treated as Americans.

It's about being treated like anyone else. We don't any longer think that brown eyed/short/Irish people are fundamentally worse than blue eyed/tall/Welsh people. Thoughts (and rules and laws) that gays are different need to go away just like those old prejudices did. People shouldn't be discriminated or lumped together based on innate characteristics. Until they do, and the discrimination ends, gay people need to push the envelope.

http://graphjam.file...1/gaymarriage.gif ;-)

I hope this is clear. My $0.02.

Cheers,
Scott.